The present invention relates to a shifting arrangement for a motor vehicle transmission, having a selector lever which is disposed in a cardan joint and which, for the preselecting of transmission gears can be swivelled in a first shifting channel constructed in a shift control housing and, by way of a transverse channel, can be changed over into a second shifting channel which is parallel to the first shifting channel. The selector lever, in both end positions of the change-over movement, is held in a resilient detent link by a detent member.
A shifting arrangement of the above type is known from German Patent Document DE-A 38 07 881. By means of a selector lever, which can be swivelled in a first shifting channel extending in the driving direction of the motor vehicle, the various shifting positions of an automatic transmission can be preselected. Via a vertical transverse channel, the selector lever can be changed over into a second shifting channel in which the various transmission gears can be manually shifted by means of the selector lever. A spring detent arrangement, which is formed by a leaf spring fastened to the lower part of the selector lever and a detent member of the selector lever which interacts with it, is used for the locking of the two end positions of the change-over movement. Since such leaf springs as a result of manufacturing tolerances have different spring forces, a readjusting is required during assembly in order to achieve a desired contact pressure force.
It is an object of the invention to provide a shifting arrangement which permits a locking of the selector lever that is free of play at low cost and does not require a readjusting during assembly.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a shifting arrangement for a motor vehicle transmission having a shift control housing with a first shifting channel, a second shifting channel parallel to the first shifting channel, and a transverse channel. A selector lever is arranged in a cardan joint and can be swivelled in the first shifting channel for preselecting transmission gears and, via the transverse channel, can be changed over into the second shifting channel. A joint hub is coupled to the selector lever. A resilient detent link and a detent member hold the selector lever, in both end positions of the change-over movement, in the detent link. A tension spring is coupled to the detent link. The detent link includes a detent lever which, on a first side, is rotatably disposed in the joint hub, and on a second side, is braced by the tension spring against the detent member.
When a detent link is constructed in a detent lever which is pivotally connected to the selector lever and is braced against a detent member of the selector lever by means of a tension spring, a locking can be achieved that is free of play because of the fact that the detent member engages in the detent link. The contact pressure force can be precisely preselected by the selection of the tension spring and is always the same in the case of all shifting arrangements without any readjusting whatsoever.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.